"Music alters and intensifies [teens'] moods, furnishes much of their slang, dominates their conversations and provides the ambiance at their social gatherings" (O'Toole). Music without a doubt touches every teen's life in some way or another. You walk into a grocery store and the latest pop band is floating through aisle 4. You go to a bar and hear some raucous rock band blaring angry words over a cranked p.a. system. And if you hear that annoying television commercial jingle one more time you are likely to break something. Today a new issue has arisen: does rock music have too strong an influence on the teens who listen to it? Many people believe that music influences teens to do some of the things they do. Others argue that it is not the music but the teenagers themselves, and that the music is just a scapegoat.

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The truth is, rock music heavily affects millions of teens across the country, and many more across the globe. While that influence is some what hard to prove empirically, there is quite a bit of indirect evidence to support it.

Rock music has long been about "sex, drugs, and rock and roll," as the popular catchphrase goes. It has the most influence on those in contact with the bands and those in the band, but also influences teens because of the way in which it glorifies all the things rock stars have: money, women, drugs, cars (Christenson & Roberts, 64). When teens see these things which are presented to them by rock stars, flashy and desirable, it instills those things as goals in their subconscious. All the things that are associated with fame and glory become icons of success for many teens. Many teens dream of fame, of being...

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